Kapustnica is a hearty traditional Slovak sauerkraut soup centered around fermented cabbage, pork, and smoked sausage, enriched with sour cream and spiced with caraway and cloves. This Christmas Eve staple gains depth from dried mushrooms and whole aromatics, making it a warming, complex dish that improves with slow simmering.
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Add sauerkraut to a large pot and pour in about a liter of water.
Crush 2 cloves of garlic into a paste using a food processor and spoon, then add to the pot.
Add black pepper and caraway seeds.
Add 2 whole cloves and crushed nutmeg.
Add 2 bay leaves and dried mushrooms.
Add the whole onion and 2 small apples.
Add pork cut into small pieces. Add more water if needed.
Cook for about 20 minutes.
While soup cooks, slice the smoked sausage into pieces. Optionally, brown the sausage in a pan to improve flavor.
After 20 minutes, add the sausage to the soup.
Add crushed red pepper and paprika.
Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. (If you prefer a light soup, it is done at this point.)
To thicken: mix thick sour cream with an equal amount of milk. Add a spoonful of flour and mix well.
Add the sour cream mixture to the soup and cook for about 1 minute, stirring as needed.
Serve hot with a slice of rye bread.
Cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding extra water if needed to restore consistency. Do not add sour cream mixture until reheating and serving.
Yes. Prepare through step 12, cool, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently and add the sour cream mixture just before serving to maintain texture.
Use raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut from a jar or fermented in brine for best flavor. Canned or pasteurized versions work but may lack tanginess.
Yes, the sausage will cook through in the soup after 30 minutes of simmering, though browning first adds deeper smoky flavor.
Omit them, or substitute with fresh mushrooms (about 100g, sliced), adding them in step 10 alongside the sausage.
Temper the mixture: dilute thick sour cream with an equal amount of milk and add flour as directed in step 13, then stir into the soup gently over low heat for about 1 minute.
